DE-FENSE!! stomp, stomp DE-FENSE!! stomp, stomp

I am not an athlete of any kind.

I'm not sure if it's nature or nurture that I abhor any type of physical activity. At a very young age I was taught that physical activity aka sports = getting hurt = BAD! My parents never allowed me to go outside to play because I might get hurt, injure myself, break a bone etc... So I never participated in any type of sport. I was never encouraged to get any physical activity. I never went to a park to play when I was little. Swings and slides were too dangerous. (Thank goodness I was a skinny kid growing up or I would be obese by now!)

So to this day, I hate breaking out in a sweat. Panting breathlessly while crouched over with a stabbing pain in my side and a cramp in my leg is not how I want to feel. You probably can assume that PE was NOT my favorite subject. (Exerting the brain is more important then exerting the body! my parents say.)

I was lucky that I learned how to ride a bicycle. Of course, I learned by myself riding in circles in the garage but I eventually learned.

Growing up I did 'watch' basketball on TV. My dad is still a HUGE Warriors fan. Anyone remember Rick Barry and Al Attles? Yep. I sure do! Whenever he had a chance, my dad would be watching every Warriors game sitting in his easy chair. (That's when I found out that my dad knew how to 'curse' at the TV! A person swearing in a heavy Chinese accent? It sounds funny!)

As a child, my husband wanted to participate in those good ol' American growing-up-boys-sports like little league, t-ball, basketball or soccer. But first generation Chinese families just didn't encourage that kind of thing. Plus he had asthma. Bad asthma.. where he would end up in the emergency room type asthma.

So when he got into high school, he decided he wanted to try out for a sport without any encouragement from his parents. And that was swimming! His mom wasn't too sure if he was dedicated enough to hack it. You see, his current high school didn't have a pool so the team would have to go to the other high school where he lived to practice. But that high school would practice after school so the only time they could practice was before school started. 5:00AM to be exact! But he did it and he even enjoyed it. (I don't know how to swim but you weren't surprised by that right?)

Fast forward 20+ years to today. My 13 year old daughter decided on her own, without her parents encouragement, that she wanted to try out for her school's basketball team. She sent me an email to tell me this on the day of tryouts! I didn't even know they were having tryouts because, of course, I always delete any emails from the school that refer to any sport opportunity. Why would they be interested? Right? They are just like me, I thought!

Well I was wrong!! She said that there weren't that many girls trying out and they need girls so she decided to go for it. I have never seen her play basketball, watch basketball or even pick up a basketball. So you could say I was a bit shocked!

At tryouts, I found out a fellow classmate accidently rammed her head in her face and she got a painful bruise. She had an ice pack on her face when I picked her up and she held back the tears until she got into the car away from her friends. Then the tears fell.

Okay, I thought. That was it. I was so sad for her. It broke my heart so see her try out for something so new and get hurt in the process. And I knew that she would not return to it again. It's done. She tried. It's over.

But I was wrong.. again. At dinner she told me to pick her up at 5 tomorrow after practice ends.  She's still going for it? Really? I thought. Okay.. she does not give up! (Probably got that quality from her father!)

Currently Matthew snowboards in the winter and plays recreation basketball once a week to keep in shape and de-stress. And he was so thrilled to hear that his daughter was trying out for basketball. So what does he do? He comes to every single game and takes hundreds of pictures of her and her teammates.

What do I do? I learn what it's like being a sports mom. After school practices. Away games. Home games.  Team snacks. Scorekeeping!

Yes.. I am scorekeeping Emily's home games. I had no idea of the rules of basketball other then you have to get the ball through the basket-y thing. And 'traveling' means no walking or running away with the ball. That was it. This is a totally brand spankin' new experience for me. After every game I learned something new. Screening. Fouling. 2 points. 3 points. Slide your feet. Watch the shooter. Box out! Rebound! Arms up!

And DEFENSE! Defense can be the key to you winning your game against your opponent when you don't have a strong offense.

We only have 11 girls on the team and only one strong shooter and a second that is somewhat good and that's it. So defense is so so important.

And that is what Emily does. Defense. And apparently she is good at it. Frantically waving her arms to block the opponent and even shoving one onto the ground at one game. Yes it was a foul and she said she didn't do it on purpose.

She doesn't get the ball often but when she does she does try to shoot getting her first 2 points in Game 6! So thrilling for me to see!

In the beginning of the season, the coach would put her in for a few minutes in the fourth quarter. I mean she was very very green in the game! But she got playing time at every game.

When we got to Tournament time (where they would play 3 games in a row), she was a starter. And got to go in and out throughout the game.

The girls lost the first tournament game but won the other two so they became the Consolation Champions or 5th out of 8th place. What an achievement!

Emily and her teammates with substitute Coach Scott

So as you can see Emily was playing a lot of defense. She was aggressive, not timid nor hesitant. She was a strong, forceful and determined player. And obedient. Coach Scott said he liked putting Emily in because she always did what he instructed her to do.

And I have to admit I was living vicariously through her (as many of us might do with our children). To play a sport and be a part of a team... something I never got a chance to do when I was her age. I mean she is #12. She has a number!!

Emily even got some fans to cheer her on! Rachel & Jessie

Yesterday the school basketball season officially ended (at least for KHA). KHA Girls record was 3-7. We didn't go into the playoffs or anything but we won our last game against Valley Christian (who is ranked at the top of the leader board) and every single gal played hard and I was proud of each and every one of them!

Emily with her 'fans' and fellow teammate Courtney (#25) with her sister Rachel who is also a high school basketball 'star'

On a side note, I have to add that I LOVE LOVE watching Courtney (#25) play basketball. She is in 8th grade and our star shooter. You can see why.. check out the pictures of her below.

 

GO COYOTES!!